Segway scooter banned from roads

A revolutionary scooter designed to beat congestion has been banned from British roads and pavements after the Government ruled it was an illegal form of transport.

The distinctive Segway Human Transporter, which can reach speeds of 12mph, has been derailed the the Department of Transport which has ruled it can only be used on private land.

The decision has been criticised by BAE Systems which developed the gyroscope which keeps the battery powered two wheel Segway upright.

BAE business manager Andy Hughes, who helped develop the gyroscope, said a Government team who visited them in Plymouth, Devon, did not seem to be interested in what the Segway had to offer.

He said: "We had a meeting with the Department for Transport and they were very uninterested. Three out of the four of them declined to get on it." The machine has been approved in the USA and other European countries including France, Spain, Austria and the Netherlands where it can be driven on the pavements or cycle paths.

The DfT said: "You can only ride an unregistered self balancing scooter on land which is private property and with the landowner's permission.

"It is not fair to say the decision was based on one of four officials taking it for a quick turn around the building.

"We had a lot of contact with the manufacturer before the decision.

"We also had a test at the House of Commons where the scooter was ridden by department officials and MPs." The Segway first came on the market five years ago and in 2003 President George W Bush fell off one while giving it a test drive.